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Moroccan NGOs slam CNDH’s recent report on Hirak and torture allegations

Human rights activists have criticized the recent report issued by the National Council for Human Rights on Hirak protests and torture allegations. Moroccan NGOs believe that the report tried to «justify human rights violations».

CNDH's president Amina Bouayach. / DR
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The recent report conducted by the National Council for Human Rights (CNDH) on Hirak protests in Al Hoceima has sparked controversy among human rights activists in Morocco.

Speaking to Yabiladi, the president of the Tafra association Ahmed Zefzafi said that said report «is pathetic». «I don’t know whether the president of CNDH had the time to read it or not», he wondered.

The father of Nasser Zefzafi, the Hirak frontman, added that «most of the conclusions brought in the report are far from the truth». «However, we are used to such kinds of reports, which protect the real aggressor and ignore what really happened», he claimed.

«For Nasser Zefzafi (…) he was arrested or rather kidnapped following the orders of the King’s prosecutor at the Al Hoceima Court of Appeal, on charges of interrupting a religious ritual. But why were other charges added to the file later during the trial, which led to the 20-year sentence?» he asked. According to Zefzafi, «Amina Bouayach, and as the president of the National Council for Human Rights, has failed at fulfilling her mission».

Meanwhile, Driss Sedraoui, head of the Moroccan League for Citizenship and Human Rights (LMCDH) shares the same opinion. «It is clear that this report is the first of its kind for CNDH because it deviates from the truth and adopts the point of view of the other side in a clear way», he alleged.

A report that «confirms the initial role of CNDH»

According to Sedraoui, «this report responds to a set of observations made by some human rights activists», who used to say that Hirak protests were peaceful. «CNDH’s report comes with a different conclusion, claiming that the protests were marked by violence», he regretted.

«The report contains professional and methodological mistakes», he said, adding that «the recommendations it made are not clear, and are far from human rights values». «This is a rather political report», he concluded

For her part, Khadija Riyadi, former president of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) and member of its current bureau, believes that this report «does not deserve to be commented on».

«It is a security report which repeats what was written in police reports and which contains lies, mistakes and inaccuracies», she added. «Amina Bouayach herself had declared that she would not comment on the conclusions of this report», Riyadi reported.

«This is a police report which confirms the original role of the National Council for Human Rights; which attempts to whitewash violations, defend authorities, hide and mislead the publlic», she said, adding that «it targets detainees and denies torture», she argued.

For the record, CNDH published a summary of its report on the Hirak protests, Sunday. The report concludes that all rights have been respected during Hirak trials and highlights violence against the police during these events.

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